A covalently crosslinked hydrogel was prepared by radical co-polymerization of vinyl-functionalized soy protein (SP) macromer and acrylic acid (AA) in aqueous media. After drying, the gel absorbs 100~500 times distilled water of its own weight, and is categorized as a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The SP macromer was prepared using an unsaturated anhydride, methacrylic anhydride (MAh), via the reaction between the anhydride functionality and the amino groups in protein. Prior to turning into macromer, the SP was hydrolyzed under alkaline condition to various degrees. The present method for the preparation of bio-based SAPs is much more efficient, controllable and produces hydrogels with much higher mechanical properties as compared to the conventional grafting method. Several factors including the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of SP, degree of substitution (DS) of amino groups in SP, initiator amount etc., were systematically investigated. The structure-property relationship of the hydrogel was established.

Biobased soy protein (SP)-poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) superabsorbent hydrogel

248th National Meeting (2014)

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